The gardens at Pear Tree Cottage sit in a cider apple orchard in the green and rolling countryside of Worcestershire, England. It enjoys a sunny south westerly aspect with sweeping views across to Martley Hillside, Woodbury & Abberley clock tower. The Teme Valley lies just over the hill and, not far away, is the Herefordshire border. Although our climate is temperate, our seasons are often uncertain and always a challenge to a gardener!

2008 -THYME SQUARE

Original vegetable patch in 2004

January, February and much of March 2008 saw work on the creation of Thyme Square and the reclamation and extension of the vegetable patch.The old dying, diseased and overgrown hedge was removed and the brash burned for 3 days.Chris, at the helm of a mini digger dug, levelled and moved earth then lugged in sleepers which we drilled through and stabilised with re-bar as the surrounding retaining wall. It was all three hands very much on deck! I'd never used an S.D.S. drill before and it was very heavy going - as was hammering in the long lengths of re-bar! More traditional native mixed hedging was replanted along with some well spaced young trees in the form of: wild cherry, walnut, holly and a North American Coastal Redwood (Sequoia Sempervirens.)

Veg Patch June 2008

Thyme square itself was made using materials reclaimed from the garden itself and much of the Thyme was grown from seed – planting out the tiny seedlings in the gravel.The vegetable plot was extended and raised by one sleeper.This is pretty much how this area of the garden looks today. The Thyme has softened the hard landscaping, the bees adore it and the scent is a real bonus. Gary from J W Lanes really deserves a special mention. He has made countless deliveries to PTC and is a bit of a hero in Witton Hill. Most of us can only manage to carry one sleeper between two - Gary just puts a sleeper under each arm and asks, " Where would like them?" Legend!!!

Thyme Square April 2014 awaiting new gravel between the bricks following a big clean up